Glory be! Midsumma is upon us!
And this year there are 194 performances, social events, parties and community events, but the heart and spiritual showcase of the festival is 'The Rise And Fall Of St George'.'George was a pioneer. A trailblazer. An icon. He was our saint.' So reads the press release for the show (staged at Hamer Hall, 23-24 January), which is not about the music of George Michael himself, but about all the ways Australia's Marriage Equality campaign was felt throughout the queer community and the ripple-on effect that it had for the people who were affected.
Alternately heartbreaking and joyous, 'The Rise And Fall Of St George' stands as testament to a community that stood in solidarity and strength and endured a campaign of vilification and savage bigotry by the Government and a shocking number of redneck voters and social media warriors.
Electro-pop king and composer Paul Mac and playwright Lachlan Philpott are responsible for the music and narrative of this gorgeous and moving telling of the trauma and triumph that surrounded that campaign.
Visually, the story is represented with graphic images of the George Michael mural that was created and later defaced and destroyed in Sydney at Paul's home.
The Saint George mural had become something of a landmark and was a visual remembrance of the man and his music, with a celebratory nod to his achievements and also his vices. Depicting George in saintly robes with a fatty in one hand and amyl in the other, the work was visible from the train.
Although it attracted no complaints for eleven months, it was defaced and destroyed one day after the YES vote. And so there was a story to be told to the faithful.
Paul chose to testify with the very able assistance of the huge and magnificent vocals of the Shout Choir Chorus along with guest performances from Andrew Bukenya, Jacqueline Dark, HANDSOME, Joyride, Brendan Maclean, NGAIIRE and Marcus Whale.
Leaning less to the pop side of music and more towards the operatic, this show is filled with stunning performances and stands not only on those merits, but also as a document of a historic vote for the LGBTQIA community and a message of hope.
The always excellent Marcus Whale had the last say, starting quietly as the mighty choir built a frenzied and jubilant crescendo with words of wisdom from the prophet: "Ya gotta have faith."
